Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar on Sunday said that everyone has the right to promote their ideas through creative works, responding to debates over films being labelled as propaganda.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after receiving a special award from a city-based jewellery brand, when asked about criticism surrounding films like Dhurandhar.

"I don't know what you mean by propaganda films. I loved Dhurandhar; it was an excellent film. I liked the first one more than the second," he said.

"Every story takes a stand, but does it become propaganda because the narrative doesn't suit a section of the audience? Everyone has the right to propagate their ideas. What is wrong with propaganda films? The task of every filmmaker is to present the truth," Akhtar added.

He said that every story carries a viewpoint, and even films based on fictional or fairy-tale themes reflect an underlying ideology.

The veteran writer also noted that films often convey a moral message, though audiences may interpret or label it differently.

About Dhurandhar, the project features actors including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera and Danish Pandor.

The two-part film series centres on a high-risk covert counter-terrorism mission. The first instalment follows an undercover Indian intelligence agent who infiltrates criminal syndicates and political networks in Karachi, Pakistan, aiming to dismantle a terror network targeting India.

The sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, continues the storyline, with the agent pursuing those behind the 26/11 attacks while confronting broader threats. The narrative is loosely inspired by real geopolitical events and conflicts in South Asia. 

#Via NDTV